Hearing Assessment in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Recommendations Beyond Neonatal Screening

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2023

Abstract

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) are at high risk for permanent deficits in language acquisition and downstream effects such as poor academic performance, personal-social maladjustments, and emotional difficulties. Identification of children born D/HH through newborn hearing screening and subsequent timely early intervention can prevent or reduce many of these adverse consequences. Ongoing surveillance for changes in hearing thresholds after infancy is also important and should be accomplished by subjective assessment for signs of atypical hearing and with objective screening tests. Scheduled hearing screening may take place in the primary care setting, or via referral to an audiologist according to the Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics "Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care" (also known as the periodicity schedule). This report covers hearing assessment beyond the newborn period, reviews risk factors for hearing level change, and provides guidance for providers of pediatric primary care on the assessment and care of children who are D/HH.

Publisher

American Academy of Pediatrics

Publication Title

Pediatrics

ISSN

1098-4275

Volume

152

Issue

3

DOI

10.1542/peds.2023-063288

Language (ISO)

English

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